Toboggan ski



July 7, 1925. 1,545,013

G. w. RIEBE TOBOGGAN SKI Filed Dec. 1v, '1923 was..

3fm/vanto@ GUN/1v WJEBE.y

Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATEN GUSTAV W. RIEBE, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

ToBoGGAiv sin.

Application filed Becembcr 17, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it. known that I, GusTAv W. RIEBE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the count-y of St. Louis and yState of Minnesota,have invented certain Vnew and useful Improvements in Toboggan Skis, ofwhich the following isa specication, reference being had therein to thevaccompanying drawing..

This invention relates to novel means for traveling over snow; and theprimary object of the present'invention is to provide an improved ski soconstructed as to permit of the ready manipulation thereof by the user,allowing the convenient turning around with minimum effort and withoutdanger of the user losing his balance and falling over.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ski ofshort, wide construction, formed of laminated wood, or other suitablematerial; the short wide construction facilitating the vmanipulation ofthe ski as above related, and the use of a plurality of layers ofmaterial strengthening same.

Another object of the invention is the Y provisionof longitudinallyextending reinforcingL beads formed on the lower surface of the ski,which prevent skidding, and also provide desirable runners forthe'skiwhen the latteris being used over hard surfaces such as ice and thelike.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means forattaching the skis to the feet of the wearer, and novel means forentirely covering and protecting the lower portion of the legs of thewearer from the elements and to prevent the forming of balls of snow andice between the feet and the skis.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved ski of-the above Y type, which will be durable and efficient in use and ofsimple construction.

With these and other objects ink view, the invention consists in suchVnovel construction, arrangement an`"d-:form`ation of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, claimed, and lillustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which drawings:

, Figure `1 is a perspective view of one of the improved skis as appliedto the foot and leg of the wearer; n

Figure 2 is a rearend elevation of the ski Serial No. 681,131.

with a portion of the foot and leg shield broken away;

Figure 3 is' anzenlarged perspectiveview of the foot board;

Figure 4 is a perspective' view of one of the strap holding nails; l

Figure 5 is a top plan view ofthe foot board with the foot bridleattached; and

Figure 6 is` an enlarged perspective view of one of the bridle strapconnections.

Referring to the drawings in det-ail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate correspondingparts throughout the several views,the improved ski comprises the` flat body portion 1, which is preferablyformed of wooden material, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings. The extreme forward end of the ski is upturned,

as at 2, so as to facilitate the traveling of.

the user of the ski over a snow surface.

The lower surface'of the body portion 1 is provided with a pluralityy ofspaced longitudinally extending ribs 3 which form means for reinforcingthe body, as well as prevent skidding. These ribs 3 will also formrunners for the ski when used over a hard surface such as ice or'thelike.

A foot plate 4, formed preferably of soft wood, is secured to the uppersurface ofthe body 1, and the foot of the user is adapted to restdirectly upon'the upper surface thereof. The forward end of the footplate 4 is pointed, as at 5, so as to avoid'snow gathering on the topportion of the body 1 during the use of the ski. The foot of the user ispreferably held on the foot plate 4 by the use of an adjustable anklestrap .6, to which is connected a heel strap 7, side straps 8 and aftoestrap 9. The lower ends of the heel strap 7, the side straps 8 and toestrap 9 are secured in suitable notches 10 formed in the marginal edgesof the foot board 4, either by nails, screws, vor the like. Anadditional adjustable strap 11 connects the straps 6 and 9 over thecenter of the foot.

In order to protect the lower portions of the wearers legs from theelements, a bell shaped covering 12 is provided. This cover 12 ispreferably formed of moisture-proof material and can be constructed ofwoolen wise secured to the marginal edges of the .foot board Al. Theupper end of the cover 12 terminates in a leg band 15, it being slit asat 16 to facilitate the placing of the foot within the cover, or ifpreferred a draw string may be used as a fastening means. The terminalsof the leg band 15 can be connected in any preferred way, as indicatedat 17.

lt is obvious that the cover 12 will fully protect the lower portion ofthe users legs from the elements and will keep the foot in a warm anddry condition, tlnisefieetire ly avoiding the forming of balls of snowand ice under the foot.

rihe straps "i", 8, and 11, are preferably loosely attached about theank-,le strap G as clearly shown in Figure (l of the drawings, and thesestraps, together with the ankle and toe straps ti and 9, form aconvenient and. secure bridle attachment for the foot; it being notedthat by this attachment extending upwardly to the ankle eX ceptionallyfreeA movement of the foot is permitted without in any way resulting ina clamped positioning thereof, and when the foot is raised the ski willbe suspended by the bridle normally assuming a straight i axialdine withthe foot, which materia. ly

. assists in walking.

When the improved foot board and bootis used upon narrow common ski, itmay be desirable to makevthe same considerably thicker than thatillustrated in the drawings,` except as shown in dotted lines at 18, Figre 2, when the edges thereof may be considerably flared outwardly toprevent the climbing of snow upon the foot.

in applying my 'improved ski Vto the foot it is obvious that thecovering or boot together with the bridle internally thereof will lieprone upon the ski, and the foot may. be readily applied through theopen end of the boot and the bridle properly fasA tened, when the bootis pulled up and attached to the leg. While l have shown this attachmentas occurring above the knee of the wearer it is apparent that the samemay be modified to cover a lesser or greater portion of the limbs asdesired.

It is apparent also that a modified form of the device may be employedto advantage in the navigating of Inucky or wet lands7 for example thatencountered in the growing of e tain crops such as cranberries or thelike, where one is apt vto sink deeply in same vithout some form ofincreased tread sur* face.

lictvllig L llS xlGSCl 1| e my lib Gall/inn, lV lf. i claim and desireto secure by Letters l3ntent, is:

1. A toboggan ski including a fiat body of short length and relativelygreat width, a pointed foot board secured to the upper surface of thebody7 considerably wid ,r than the users foot but less in width than theski, notches within theV marginal edges of the foot beard, an anklestrap for adjustable engagement about the ankle of the wearer, toestraps the termini Vof which are fixed within two opposed notches in thelfoot board, heel and side straps leading from the ankle strap to theother notches in the foot board, and an adjustable strap leading fromthe ankle strap to the toe strap.

2. i toboggan ski including a flat body of short length and relativelygreat width, a Lioiuted foot board secured to theupper surface of thebody, considerably wider than the wearei"s foot but less in width than tLe ski, notches within the marginal edges of the foot board, an anklestrapV for adjustable engagement about the ankle of the wearer, toestraps the termini of which are fixed within two opposed notches in thefoot board, heel and side straps leadingfrom the ankle strap to theother notches inthe foot eoV board, an adjustable strap leading from theankle strap to the toe strap, and a pron tecting boot wholly surroundingthe foot of the wearer the lower end being rigidly fixed to the marginaledges of the foot board, and

the upper end adjustably attached to theV leg of the wearer.

3. The combination with a ski having a' foot attaching bridle and aprotectingboot surrounding same, of means forming a portion of saidbridle and' attaened 4about the ankle of the wearer permitting of freean-V gular movement of the leg of the wearer in respect to the ski whenin userand normally holding the ski in proper alignment with the foot.

4l. The combination with a ski having a foot bridle and protecting bootthereabouts, of an adjustable strap about the upper end of the bootforming` the upper end of a vertically disposed opening longitudinall?,7of the boot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto a'liix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

GUSTAV Wh RIEBE. Witnesses S. G. BRoNsoN, l S. GEO. STEVENS,

illl

